Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar wrote to the Centre on Tuesday against the decision to increase fertilizer prices, a move that he said would harm farmers.
“The pandemic has had a heavy impact on our people, devastating their every means of livelihood. The farming community is reeling under one of the worst ever crisis and their issues need to be addressed immediately. But I have learnt that instead of extending a helping hand to this distressed community, the Central government has taken decision to increase the prices of fertilisers exponentially,” he wrote in a letter addressed to D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Mr. Pawar said that the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 has already crumbled the marketing system. “As the monsoon is right at the doorsteps, the unfortunate decision would directly hamper the pre-sowing agricultural activities and in future affect the production cost and productivity of the crops. With inflated rates of fuel, the new decision will rub salt in the wounds of the farmers,” he said, adding that the decision was shocking and needed to be reviewed immediately.
